My Encounter With Paul Krugman

To honor the community in which he was born, Economist Paul Krugman decided to put on his latest speech at UAlbany. Being an Economics major, I could not pass up the opportunity to see one of the world’s most respected Economists in my own hometown. I took the ten-minute trip over to UAlbany’s campus and walked into their auditorium in which I was taken back by the overwhelming media presence. It’s evident that news stations don’t want to miss a word that comes out of this man’s mouth. And boy was it crowded. Movement was severely constricted in the 830-person Page Hall- even the Edgerton fits 770 people and Sacred Heart is twice as small. I overheard the people around me discussing how far they came to see him speak- a three-hour trip! It made my ten-minute drive seem like a walk in the park.

After Krugman was introduced by the head of the Economics department, he strutted up to the podium sporting the typical “math teacher” look. His professor- like style must have been adopted somewhere along the lines of his years teaching at Ivy League schools. Before diving into the material, he cracked jokes left and right. I thought Economics professors were supposed to be dry but Krugman actually had a pretty good sense of humor to warm the crowd up. His speech on the European debt crisis awed the crowd. I know he could’ve used that MIT language he had in his arsenal of words, but spoke to the audience in a manner they could understand. His phenomenal delivery is his greatest attribute as a public intellectual.

Since my friend’s dad works for UAlbany’s Economics department, I was offered the opportunity to go backstage to meet Krugman. I was nervous and hoping I wouldn’t ask any questions he would think of as “stupid.” But after listening to his speech, I understood his relaxed, humorous, and approachable personality, which lowered my stress levels.

I personally introduced myself to him and his firm handshake showed his confidence. I’m sure he had twenty others waiting to meet him, but he politely didn’t rush our conversation at all. His trademark scruffy beard looked even grayer up close. After telling him I loved his New York Times column and enjoyed him destroying Bill O’Reilly on Tim Russert, he responded with a modest appreciation. In my head I questioned if he really cared what a teenager thought of his work. He must’ve because he asked me which of his columns I enjoyed the most. Getting put on the spot was the last thing I wanted to do. I thought I did pretty well to answer his questions especially since I’d consider myself conservative, completely contradicting his liberal views. After all, the last thing I wanted to do was get into a fiscal debate with Paul Krugman. Avoiding a debate, I walked to the parking lot with my pride still intact. He was the type of person you have a conversation with and just feel like you need to go home and open up a book. I then went home and proceeded to read my Economics textbook. 

Symbolically Renovating The U.S Embassy

This past weekend, I took a trip to the U.S Embassy building in New York City. The experience opened up my eyes to international gatherings I didn’t know much about. It was amazing to see a room full of chairs- not one country left out- where major worldly discussions would take place. However, I was surprised about the out dated furniture and lack of a modern feeling the building gave. I expected to walk into a luxurious, modern facility in which the U.S kept up to date in order to impress all countries that visited.

As I thought about it, I realized that the U.S is famous for spending $1.10 when it only has a dollar. To modernize the Embassy building would not only destroy the history, but also give less developed countries a sense of inferiority. It would be waving our riches in their faces. Then they must go back to their broken down government buildings. The United States has made a good political move to suck up their pride and not feel the need to show off.

Although I must admit, the elevators are a bit scary and could be modernized, I respect the United States’ decision to preserve the history. As of recently, the U.S Embassy building has been going through renovations. I’ll be keeping my eye on the process to see how much of the Embassy actually gets touched. If we go all out, hopefully we don’t offend any third world countries. I'm not one to over react about political correctness, but our country's image in the eyes of the world is surely an important issue.  

If You Build It, They Will Come

Being a $70 billion business, the sports industry deserves only the best. American sports fans enjoy the luxury of some of the greatest sports stadiums in the world. The new Cowboys stadium and Giants stadium cost their owners over $1 billion dollars. Yes, BILLION dollars. The motive- if you build it, they will come. It's the motto that has even trickled down to being adapted in college sports. 

While stadiums like Syracuse’s Carrier Dome are famous for their advancement, the NEC making it’s own strides to impress the sports landscape. And it’s much needed. Attendance has been infamously the biggest issue in the conference. Although the NEC is an average mid major conference -usually hovering around 25th out of 32- the attendance has constantly been last. The community and students simply don’t show up for games. You can’t blame the level of play because either way you look at it, it’s a division I conference. Even division III conferences get more consistant attendance.

Quinnipiac built themselves a gorgeous new state of the art arena that houses both their hockey and basketball teams. Their $50 million dollar investement was in hopes of increasing attendance and bringing in better recruits. Despite the millions spent, Quinnipiac's attendance has only risen slightly to 1,800 fans. Not the outcome they were looking for.

Soon, Sacred Heart will be looking to address their attendance issues with significant upgrades to the athletic facilities. An ice rink, swimming pool, and potentially upgraded basketball arena all seem to be in the plans for the future. But Quinnipiac built it, and nobody came. 

Hopefully, Sacred Heart can get enough hype to get the athletic support that unites a campus. Unfortunately, judging by Quinnipiac failures, it seems culture cannot be changed. You’re school is either a sports school or not. You’re in a big conference or doomed. Only time will tell whether the investment can make this Park Avenue campus bleed pioneer red. 

Seconds to Impress: The Super Bowl Commercial Reviews

All the critics have had time to speak their opinions on last weeks super bowl commercials. A majority of articles I've read have provided favorable reviews. Even this week's spectrum article written by Jeff Daley polling a few Sacred Heart students returned back a majority of positive responses. After taking into account all of the reviews, I've come to my own conclusion about the most effective super bowl commercials. My top 4 ranking follows..

1. M&M's humor mixed with the chart topping LMFAO song had people talking a few days after the big game. Personally, I'm not a LMFAO fan, but it was such a clever way to advertise the new chocolate M&M without forcing humor.

2. Chrysler's emotional, uplifting, and creative play on halftime using the famous Clint Eastwood. Basic marketing fact: the super bowl commercials that get the most talk are the most effective. This sure accomplished that.

3. Chevy's commercial shows the Mayan's apocalypse coming true, but everybody who drove a Chevy truck survived. It's a great play on the 2012 drama going on, and they even snuck in a little shot at their competition, Ford.

4. Etrade's famous baby commercials come out every super bowl and they never seem to disappoint. I must admit, I look forward to the talking baby every year.

Krugman: To Cut or Increase Spending

After the nation's economy caught a glimpse of hope in early 2012, momentum seems to be slowing. Economist Paul Krugman's theories are taking center stage, but I question how they are becoming so popular. I read his articles and many common sense questions come to mind. His spending, stimulus, and expand deficit spending policies just don't seem to make logical sense.

One of Krugman's main critics, Jeffrey Sachs, questions Krugman's theories in a recent Bloomberg article. Sachs sums it up nicely when he says that Krugman has “under-emphasized the risks of growing debt, he’s over-asserted what we really know about the effects of these policies and he has underestimated the long-term need for public-sector change and reform.” I completely agree with Sachs. It gets to the point where our national security is at risk when our debt is so deep. The thoughts of turning into Greece sends chills down my spine. Barack Obama has tried to pump money into the system and realized solely stimulus plans do not work. A median needs to be struck. Krugman's fiscal belief that we didn't put enough money into the system puzzles me. 

Krugman states the U.S economy is headed towards depression because an excess supply of savings prevented full employment. In reality, people are getting laid off because companies are in too much debt to pay employees. The issue is rooted in our debt. As Sachs correctly claims, fix our debt, make spending reforms and we'll get back on track soon enough. Economists will continue to argue and hopefully the correct decision is the one implemented! 

Say Goodbye To Summer School

As spending cuts increase, the education system is stripped of some of it's luxuries. In elementary school, my generation took for granted what we had. For example, the opportunity to join the band at a young age or summer school for underachieving students. Times have been rough for too long and the frustrations are trickling down to the public education system in America. The most shocking cut from the budget has been summer school. Looking back on the concept of summer school, I give the politicians credit on the cut.

Summer school was a way for underachieving students to have a second chance so they could graduate with their class. For weeks, they'd sit in classrooms hotter than heck just trying to obtain that passing grade. Some students needed the extra help and others were just simply too lazy to hand in their work the first time. Little did I realize that summer school was as expensive as it was. I spent lots of time digging through the internet, and I didn't get an exact number of dollars summer school would save the districts. But when dissecting it, money would be saved in the teacher salaries, utilities, janitor salaries, and gas for the buses (and we all know gas prices are on the rise).

The first reaction to cutting summer school would be sympathy for the struggling students who really do need extra help. However, I truly believe this is a smart cut. It's a smarter cut than taking away band or sports from the students. As a student, you have 180 days to pass your class. Let's be honest, passing high school classes isn't exactly hard. If you haven't passed high school the first time, you probably didn't give it your all. If you did, than an extra 180 days of relearning the material would really benefit you. Cramming a whole year into less than a month isn't realistic. Therefore, teachers are forced to water down the subject to match the audience they're teaching. Is that really fair for the students that took the tough version the first time? Staying back affects one person, but a school's 20 million dollar deficit affects all the students. 

Lastly, spending cuts in the education system really couldn't go anywhere else. Students need to be held accountable and study the information presented to them. The education system is broke and teachers must get paid. Being a teacher is one of the most important jobs in society, and to cut their salaries would be an injustice to them. Keep appreciating the teachers and hold the students accountable! Staying a year back isn't the worst thing in the world, but losing our teachers are. Good job politicians, that's one decision you got right. 

People Watching In The Mohag

Sitting the mohag room is the perfect time to complete the assignment on observations. It doesn't exactly compare to people watching in New York City, but it's the closest we'll get here on Sacred Heart's campus. Quickly, you realize the lack of diversity on campus. Generalizing, people seem to be of the middle to upper class. When zoning in on 5 specific people, I tried to notice differences without drawing inaccurate conclusions.

Person #1: Immediately the girl's neon green shirt sitting across from me caught my eye. That shirt could possibly be the new work outfits for construction workers. You cannot be missed in that shirt!

Person #2: There's a boy sitting at a table with 5 girls. He's just sitting back and enjoying being social. This kid must have some sort of game! Or maybe he sat down being uninvited? Interesting.

Person #3: A professor is sitting down behind me. It's rare professors choose to get work done in the mohag, but I enjoy seeing them in here. His eyes are fixed on his computer screen, probably finishing up his lesson before he heads over to teach his class. And to think only students saved work for the last minute!

Person #4: This person has decided that wearing an Oakland Raiders football hat is socially acceptable after they failed to put up a winning percentage over 500% this year. I won't make fun of him too much because the gray hat matches his gray shirt nicely. He does know style and I give him credit on his matching. Knowing football might be a different story..

Person #5: Oh man, I just made awkward eye contact while scouting this person out. Oh well, little does this person know they're getting blogged about right now. As he does makes his trips from table to table, I can make the inference that he's pretty popular. I see this kid around a lot and, once again, he's wearing Sacred Heart apparel. Either he got a nice gift card to the school bookstore, or he has lots of school pride. I appreciate when kids have school pride and wear the SHU logo around.

Paul Krugman: Spreading His Influential Perspectives

When Paul Krugman releases an opinion via social media, the world listens. His official webpage and blog in the New York Times provides insightful information through the eyes of Krugman. Being an economics major, I've studied Krugman's work as a leading economist. I've chosen to use him as my midterm assignment because he's what everyone studying economics strives to be. We've all heard the jokes surrounding the inconstancy of economists… “Ask five economists and you'll get five different answers; six if one went to Harvard” is just one of the many examples. Krugman seems to be right so much in a profession where people are always so wrong! Immersing myself into his opinions, views and work will only benefit me as an aspiring economist! 

The Morning After.. Football That Is

It's an empty feeling for some. You wake up on Monday morning, roll over, hit your alarm and see it's February 6th on the calendar. Football season is over. It's the awkward transition between America's most popular sport (football) and America's past time (baseball). A majority of Americans ask themselves, do I look to hockey to fill the void? NBA basketball? Just hold out until the March Madness tournament? That's what a majority of sports fans end up doing; holding out until March Madness basketball.

This is where the famous quote, "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened," comes into play. It was a great season with an exhilarating Super Bowl to end it. However, I don't want to hear complaints about the NFL season being over. Sure, it's a long wait until September rolls around again. I believe true sports fans are well rounded and knowledgeable about a variety of sports. I hear lots of complaints about football season being over, but f you can't enjoy other sports in the meantime, I question whether you're a true sports fan at all. The world of sports is so deep, it goes way beyond football. These NFL players take monstrous hits weekly so it's time for their bodies to rest. The studies have shown that the brutality of NFL hits is terrible for a person's body. Each NFL game is comparable to a serious car accident to the players bodies. While the NFL players are relaxing their worn out bodies on a beach somewhere, you should be tuning into your local hockey, soccer, basketball team etc. In conclusion, be a well rounded sports fan, it's important! Support your city in different sports. Lastly, I can't forget to give congratulations to the New York Giants! Well deserving of being the world champions!

As Gametime Approaches, What's The Meaning of It All?

With the 2012 Super Bowl quickly approaching, Giants and Patriots fans can barely sit still. They're putting on their Manning and Brady jerseys in anticipation for kickoff. The nerves make unbearable butterflies in their stomachs as if they're playing in the game. But wait, they're not! In fact, nothing in their life will change whether their team wins or loses today. It's this concept that blows my mind about sports. People live and die with a team they literally have no connection towards. I can't deny it, I'm the same way. You don't want to talk to me the day after the Yankees or U.S soccer loses. As much as I try to remind myself a Yankees loss doesn't deviate my life's path in any way, it just doesn't work. Why I ask myself!?

Sports changes America's landscape, especially every football Sunday. Fans come together from all over the country to celebrate their team's win or cry together after their teams defeat. Sports provides a sense of belonging, gives people a purpose, unites people, brings out the best in people, and brings out the worst in people. Fans want a win for their team more than anything. Sign onto YouTube and you’ll be able to watch fans go at it in the stands all day. Stadiums, such as Red Bull Arena, and Lincoln Financial Field even have jail cells built into them to detain fighters. Why do fans ruin their criminal records over a team they’re not even a part of? It's the passion! The passion stems from pride. Everybody wants to be able to go back to work the next day with their head held high knowing they are the champions. They want to rub the loss in their co workers face or give their boss a high five in celebration of the win. On the surface, sports set up artificial competitions that don’t really serve any purpose. After all, nothing really hinges on who gets to the finish line first. But I am so thankful for sports. It brings the world together unlike anything else in existence. 


Tonight, a city will be united as champions of the world. Their fans will parade in the streets, proudly wearing their team's jersey on their backs. World champions gear will be sold at record setting rates. My life may not change with the Giants victory tonight, but I'll feel a sense of belonging I haven't felt since their last super bowl win. I'll feel a sense of unity and belonging with my fellow New Yorkers and G-men nation. And that is why I have an excuse to feel as nervous for this game as our starting quarterback.